An arrest was made in Madera last Friday, August 28, in a large drug bust. In the official report released by the Madera County Department of Corrections, Thomas Albert Metzger Jr., 38, was arrested by Madera District officials on multiple counts of firearms and ammunition possession as a prohibited felon, burglary, marijuana cultivation and possession for sale, and the illegal possession of a bullet-proof vest.
According to the MCDC record, Metzger is currently living in Carson City, Nevada, and is unemployed. He had apparently been making his living through dealing and cultivating cannabis. It is also evident from his firearms and armor protection that he was prepared for an armed confrontation.
Metzger’s move to Nevada appears to be a recent one, as he has an extensive history of arrests in Fresno and Madera Counties. As recently as June of last year, he was residing in North Fork, a small town in the North Fork Rancheria of the Mono Indian tribes. The community is located 40 miles east of Madera, in the Sierra National Forest. Records going back to 2009 show he was arrested in Feruary of that year for burglary and possession of drug paraphernalia. In May that year he was charged with a parole violation, and in August for driving without a license, possession of a controlled substance, and giving false information to an officer.
In February of 2010 he was arrested for possession and transportation of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, and a hypodermic needle, along with violating parole. He was arrested twice in October of 2010. The Madera County Sheriff’s Department charged him with possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a weapon as a prohibited felon. Madera Police arrested him two weeks later for possession of a controlled substance for sale and stolen property.
In July of 2012, he was arrested in Madera County for petty theft with a prior, theft with a forged access (ATM) card, burglary, possession of stolen property, and probation violations. In April of 2014 he was in Fresno County when he was charged with burglary, possession of stolen property, and again, a weapon as a prohibited felon. And in June of that year he was arrested in Fresno County again, this time for vehicle theft and possession of the stolen vehicle.
Currently Metzger is being held in the Madera County Jail. His bail was set at $512,000.00, which, so far, no one has stepped up to pay.
CrimeVoice staff contributed to this report
